LONDON, July 13: A year ago, it was a matter of bouncing back after wasting three match points in a devastating loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final and showing that he could still win a Grand Slam after a three-month doping ban.
This year it was about demonstrating that he still has the physical toughness to win a major after a debilitating second-round meltdown at Roland Garros in a Paris heat wave
Whatever gets thrown Jannik Sinner’s way in the French capital — it seems lately — only makes him stronger across the Channel in London.
For the second straight year, Sinner responded to adversity in Paris with a title at Wimbledon.
The top-ranked Sinner beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday for his second consecutive title at the All England Club after his German opponent appeared bothered by a knee issue following a slip to the grass on a key point in the third set.
When Sinner ripped a forehand winner up the line on his first match point, the Italian dropped to the grass on his back in an unusually dramatic celebration for the normally low-key Italian.
“This one means a lot because (it) was a tough one after Paris again,” Sinner said. “I’m proud of myself and my team, which continues to push me in the right direction.”
Amid stifling heat and humidity in Paris in late May, Sinner had his 30-match winning streak ended after coming within one game of a straight-set victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who was ranked No. 56.
Sinner went in for medical exams in Milan after the Paris defeat and didn’t play an official match again until he arrived at Wimbledon, where he twice had to come back from a set down in a five-set marathon against Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.
Sinner then didn’t drop a set the rest of the way until the final, having dominated against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
It was Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title and 10th straight victory over Zverev, who was coming off his first Grand Slam title at the French Open.
Zverev’s previous best performance at Wimbledon was reaching the fourth round three times.
“I’m 29 years old and this is the first time I actually believe I can win this trophy,” Zverev said.
Zverev slips
The top two seeds appeared perfectly matched until Zverev earned his only break point of the match at 3-3 in the third set – 2 hours and 42 minutes in. Sinner produced a drop shot and Zverev slipped and appeared to hyper-extend his right knee as he attempted to change directions behind the baseline.
Zverev grasped his knee in apparent discomfort and Sinner went around the net and helped his opponent up off the grass. Zverev quickly resumed playing but he appeared slightly hampered and slung his racket across the baseline in frustration when he missed a forehand and handed Sinner the first break of the match and a 5-3 lead in the third. Sinner then served it out.
Zverev had also lost 14 straight sets to Sinner and when he claimed the opening set of the final with a forehand winner up the line to conclude a tight tiebreaker, he let out a loud roar toward his box as he bent over in celebration.
Zverev continually cranked out serves at up to 139 mph (224 kph), while Sinner produced a series of well-placed aces at a slightly lower speed.
But Sinner began to read Zverev’s serve better in the second-set tiebreaker and Zverev started to miss forehands.
“He showed once again,” Zverev said, “why he’s the best player in the world.”
Sinner produced 58 winners to Zverev’s 49 and had only 25 unforced errors to Zverev’s 45.
Zverev led 17-15 in aces.
Sinner became the first player to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon without conceding a service game in either the semifinals (against Novak Djokovic) or the final since Roger Federer did it in 2003 against Andy Roddick and Mark Philippoussis, respectively, en route to the first of his record eight titles.
Sinner conceded one break point in both the semifinals and final and saved both of them.
Despite the defeat, Zverev leapfroged Alcaraz into the No. 2 spot in the rankings.
Alcaraz missed both the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a right wrist injury. (AP)
